John 5

John 5:1After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Healing at Bethesda on the Sabbath

5:2Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. 5:3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.5:4For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

Notice particularly that there was no condemnation of these suffering as they gathered at the pool in the hope of being healed in the waters; but they made an issue of Jesus telling this man to take up his pad [a blanket to lay on].

5:5And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. 5:6When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?5:7The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

John 5:8 “bed” G2895 1) a pallet, i.e. a blanket to lay upon. Jesus heals the man and commands him to take up the blanket he was lying on and carry it away with him. The law says to bear no burden on the Sabbath day and these folks had exoanded that commandment to the point of condemning even the moving of a blanket.

This act does not do away with the commandments against carrying a burden on the Sabbath day: It merely illustrates the parameters and spirit of that commandment! We are not to carry a heavy burden like moving furniture, and we are not to carry any burden for work purposes; but we may make our beds!

5:8Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 5:9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

The leaders immediately accused the man of doing an unlawful thing in taking up his blanket on the Sabbath.

5:10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. 5:11He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.

Jesus vanishes in the crowd

5:12Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? 5:13And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.

The man then went to the Temple to worship God

Here is the principle lesson: When we are healed spiritually from sin, by hearing the Word, sincerely repenting and having the sacrifice of Christ applied to us: We are to: GO and SIN NO MORE!

5:14Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

At this point the man realized who it was that had healed him and told him to take up his pallet or blanket

5:15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.

Then the elders sought to kill Messiah for commanding this man to take away his pad on the Sabbath

5:16And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.

Jesus told them that both he and God the Father had done this deed of saving the sick on the Sabbath.

5:17But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

Then they sought to kill Messiah all the more

5:18Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Jesus taught that everything he did was to do God the Father’s will. Christ was in full complete UNITY with God the Father; and we are to be ONE in complete unity with God the Father and Jesus Christ!

That is true godly UNITY!

Unity with God is the foundation of all godly unity; while compromising with godly doctrine for the sake of corporate unity, divides us from Jesus Christ and God the Father.

When we compromise with God’s Word for organizational unity we might gain the carnal unity of any ungodly organization doing its own thing, but we will have no unity with God!

We are to do the deeds of God to be godly! To tolerate sin, or to compromise with God’s Word, is NOT Godly!

What then of the Sabbath?

The Sabbath was made for man and man’s good to give man time away from his labors to spend time with God. We are to spend God’s time with God; and we are not to pay others to work on the Sabbath.

Paying others to serve us in restaurants or to serve in any other way is sin. We are NOT to encourage their sin, instead we are to set a godly example.

5:19Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he [God the Father]doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. 5:20For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

Jesus boldly proclaimed that God the Father resurrects the dead and that he also has such power. Just as Christ raised up certain physical dead folks, when he comes he will raise up to eternal life those who do the works of God the Father and the Son!

5:21For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 5:23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

God the Father and the Son are ONE in spirit, mind and deeds, and those that are of God are to be ONE in complete unity with God the Father and the Son in spirit, mind and deeds; regardless of what any others may say or do.

To break any part of God’s Word or to tolerate sin without rebuking it; is to separate ourselves from God the Father and from the Son!

To have eternal life, we must not only believe Christ; we must believe and obey God the Father like Christ did and does!

5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Jesus then said that that the dead in Christ and God the Father, will be raised up to eternal life in that day.

5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 5:26For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 5:27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

Jesus speaks of the resurrections

5:28Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Jesus always seeks to do God the Father’s will, and so should we!

5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. 5:31If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.

Jesus begins to speak about John Baptist.

5:32There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.

Jesus is not defending himself but is teaching these things, so that some might believe and be saved.

5:33 Ye sent unto John [Baptist], and he bare witness unto the truth. 5:34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.

John Baptist was a bright light of godliness

5:35He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

Jesus was a brighter light than John Baptist in that he healed the sick and raised the dead; and he taught the spiritual intent of the law as well as brought salvation by the sacrifice of himself the Creator, as the Passover Lamb of God.

5:36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

God the Father himself spoke of Jesus [Hebrew: Yeshua] as the Messiah at the baptism of Christ.

5:37And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. . .

Yet, the priests, Pharisees and elders would not hear the voice of God the Father’s witness. they did not know or believe or have anything of God the Father, because they rejected the Son who is ONE with the Father.

5:37 . . . Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.5:38And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

Search the Old Testament books for they teach about Christ, yet these folks rejected Christ who fulfilled the scriptures.

Those who do not exalt God the Father and the Son above ALL else; by internalizing their nature through living by every Word of God to become ONE in full unity with them, as they are one with each other: will remain spiritually ignorant. They do NOT have the love of God in them, no matter how much they go on about being full of love.

5:39Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.5:40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

Many speak about Christ, saying that Jesus is the Christ; while misrepresenting the teachings of Christ and failing to KEEP the commandments and teachings of Jesus Christ and God the Father.

Men use his name but do not honor him with their deeds, teaching that unrepentant sin will be winked at; when in truth all those who do not repent are appointed to the lake of fire.

In teaching that only the Ten Commandments must be obeyed, such wicked men condemn themselves; for the ten commandments say that we are to honor our Father and that we should keep the Sabbath day that God commanded!

If we then do not keep every Word of God the Father and Jesus Christ, who was sent by the Father to teach us: We break the Ten Commandments and dishonor God our Father in Heaven!

Those who do not honor Jesus Christ and God the Father; by the diligent study, internalizing and KEEPING of the whole Word of God; know NOTHING of God and they do NOT have the love of God in them and they will NOT receive eternal life unless they repent.

Today’s Spiritual Ekklesia is being led to damnation by false teachers who have drifted very far from zeal to live by every Word of God the Father. Their zeal is for their false traditions, their organizations and idols of men, and for their own ways: NOT for the things of God!

5:41 I receive not honour from men. 5:42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.

Consider the following, you who preach the teachings of some man

5:43I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

Those who honor and cling to the traditions of men, and idolize men and corporate church bodies and leaders; break the law and Word of God.

They shall be judged for they have the scriptures and choose to follow their own ways instead of the Word of God.

5:44How can ye believe[Jesus Christ and God the Father], which [when you honor each other, instead of honoring God] receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?

5:45Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.

Today we have more than Moses, we have the New Testament explaining Moses.

The teachings of scripture, the foundational teachings; are that we are to become ONE in TOTAL UNITY with God the Father and the Son; through sincere repentance, a wholehearted commitment to “Go and sin no more,” diligent, fervent prayer and study, and zealously living by every Word of God: Have now been cast aside by those claiming to be the ministry of God!

Hosea 4:6My people are destroyed [separated from God the Father and Jesus Christ and facing tribulation] for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget[God the Father and Jesus Christ will reject those who reject any part of the Word of God (Rev 3:16)] thy children.

John 5:46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me. 5:47 But if ye believe not his [Moses] writings, how shall ye believe my [Jesus Christ] words?